Lewis Hamilton faces a new challenge at Ferrari, adapting to their distinct, team-centric racing strategy.
Lewis Hamilton has been warned that he will encounter a different style of racing at Ferrari in 2025, and that his future teammate, Charles Leclerc, has the power to create an atmosphere that is “really, really challenging.”
Hamilton announced in February that he would join Ferrari on a multi-year contract starting next year, thus ending his long and successful partnership with Mercedes.
The switch will see Hamilton, the most decorated driver in history with seven world championships and over 100 race wins, taking on Leclerc, often regarded as the fastest over a single lap of the current grid.
Hamilton has had sometimes tumultuous relationships with teammates, such as with Fernando Alonso at McLaren in 2007 and Nico Rosberg from 2014 to 2016.
A former teammate, Jenson Button, is already warning him.
“I think if it were the Lewis of seven or eight years ago, it would be a tricky relationship with Charles. But now, he seems so relaxed, at peace with himself, and I don’t think they’ll have any problems at all being teammates, no more than Carlos [Sainz] and Charles right now.”
“Do I think they will work well together? Yes. The good thing about Charles is that he knows the team and speaks Italian. If he wanted to, he could make it really, really tough for Lewis in this team, you know, the atmosphere, pulling the team towards himself.”
“You can say that ‘it’s not sportsmanlike,’ but it’s part of racing to have the favor of engineers and mechanics.”
“Nico Rosberg will tell you too: it’s about having the team behind you, so it gives you strength and takes it away from your teammate.”
“But Lewis has been around long enough to understand the situation and I’m really, really looking forward to seeing this teammate battle.”
Button stated that Hamilton, still in pursuit of a record eighth title, cannot afford to “go it alone” and must adapt to “a different way of racing at Ferrari,” where the team’s ambitions outweigh those of the drivers at Maranello.
“Obviously, drivers work together. But at Ferrari, it’s all about Ferrari.”
“That’s the only thing that matters with Ferrari. In all other teams, you might say that the driver is on one side, and the team on the other, obviously.”
“But at Ferrari, everyone works for Ferrari. It’s primarily about seeing Ferrari win World Championships. Almost regardless of which driver succeeds.”
“It’s definitely a different way of racing for someone like Lewis, who is such a star in this sport and who, suddenly, will be working for Ferrari to win the championship.”
“I’m excited to see the dynamics there and it’s going to be very exciting next year.”
Hamilton Adapts to Ferrari’s Unique Team-First Approach. Hamilton Adapts to Ferrari’s Unique Team-First Approach
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